Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Geneva, IL

For one person, living is cheaper in Geneva, IL: $2,350 a month against $4,938 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $31,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Geneva, IL
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Geneva, IL Living Index

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,938

/mo nomad

Geneva, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,350

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in New York, NY and in Geneva, IL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in New York, NY and in Geneva, IL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $4,938 per month in New York, NY vs $2,350 in Geneva, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $4,938
Geneva, IL $2,350

A couple spends around $7,273 per month in New York, NY vs $3,481 in Geneva, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $7,273
Geneva, IL $3,481

A family of three spends $9,608 per month in New York, NY vs $4,612 in Geneva, IL, rent included.

New York, NY $9,608
Geneva, IL $4,612

New York, NY costs about 110% more than Geneva, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both New York, NY and Geneva, IL sit above the global median – New York, NY by 264%, Geneva, IL by 73%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.99 $24.99

$14.21 $14.21

75.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$68.2 $68.2

76.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.74 $13.74

$12.13 $12.13

13.27%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$5.38 $5.38

22.68%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

$3.02 $3.02

26.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.29 $2.29

25.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$6.15 $6.15

29.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.06 $10.06

$8.01 $8.01

25.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.78 $0.78

75.64%

White Bread (500g)

$4.75 $4.75

$2.74 $2.74

73.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.69 $7.69

$2.92 $2.92

163.36%

Eggs

$5.87 $5.87

$3.44 $3.44

70.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.25 $19.25

$7.63 $7.63

152.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$11.55 $11.55

54.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$10.52 $10.52

80.89%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$4.69 $4.69

42.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.65 $1.65

38.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$3.60 $3.60

78.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.75 $6.75

$4.84 $4.84

39.46%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$1.78 $1.78

120.79%

Onion (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.96 $2.96

52.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.60 $1.60

74.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.43 $2.43

3.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.10 $18.10

$10.69 $10.69

69.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.16 $20.16

$8.08 $8.08

149.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.78 $1.78

83.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 $3.75

$4.47 $4.47

-16.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.20 $2.20

32.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$143 $143

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$4.10 $4.10

-25.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.01 $2.01

7.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.33 $41.33

$44.12 $44.12

-6.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.09 $1.09

2.75%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$33.1K $33.1K

$24.8K $24.8K

33.46%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.7K $25.7K

$25.9K $25.9K

-0.74%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$219 $219

$176 $176

24.84%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$75.3 $75.3

$52.6 $52.6

43.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$67.1 $67.1

5.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$35.52 $35.52

225.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

Cinema Ticket

$21.37 $21.37

$11.86 $11.86

80.19%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$3,432 $3,432

$1,528 $1,528

124.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$61.7K $61.7K

$23.9K $23.9K

158.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 $74.9

$55.6 $55.6

34.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.1 $52.1

$50.8 $50.8

2.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$88.3 $88.3

32.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$122 $122

10.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,347 $4,347

$1,820 $1,820

138.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,117 $3,117

$1,221 $1,221

155.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$9,110 $9,110

$2,229 $2,229

308.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,379 $5,379

$2,128 $2,128

152.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.3K $19.3K

$3,121 $3,121

517.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,943 $6,943

$2,190 $2,190

217.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,238 $5,238

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.43

6.53%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for New York, NY: October 17, 2026

Last update for Geneva, IL: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.1%

Geneva, IL

$1.2K 52% 60.8% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$552 11.2%

Geneva, IL

$326 13.9% 41% $226

Eating Out

New York, NY

$407 8.2%

Geneva, IL

$283 12% 30.5% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$365 7.4%

Geneva, IL

$295 12.6% 19.1% $70

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$170 3.5%

Geneva, IL

$143 6.1% 16.2% $28

Getting Around

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Geneva, IL

$23 * 1% 86.3% $145

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$158 3.2%

Geneva, IL

$59 2.5% 62.6% $99

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $4,347 in New York, NY versus $1,820 in Geneva, IL. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $120 in New York, NY versus $68.0 in Geneva, IL. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $552 vs $326 – making Geneva, IL the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Geneva, IL

🕒 Local time

22:34 10:34 PM

21:34 9:34 PM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

12,812

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

New York, NY Geneva, IL 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
Geneva, IL

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

New York, NY vs Geneva, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $4,938 in New York, NY, $2,350 in Geneva, IL – roughly 110% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in groceries.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $7,407 per month in New York, NY and $3,524 in Geneva, IL. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Geneva, IL, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $4,938 in New York, NY and $2,350 in Geneva, IL. That's a gap of about 110%.

Kindergarten costs $3,432 per month in New York, NY and $1,528 in Geneva, IL. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$3,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $4,938 in New York, NY and $2,350 in Geneva, IL. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

It depends on your priorities. New York, NY has an edge in some lifestyle areas, with costs from $2,350 in Geneva, IL to $4,938 in New York, NY. Climate, culture, job market, and personal taste all factor in.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Geneva, IL. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, New York, NY makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.